Authenticity & Value of a Vintage Rope Chain Necklace - Appraisal Insights

Question
I was given a necklace by my aunt who states that her husband who was a pilot purchased it in Damascus 30 yrs. ago, she says the piece is 24 karat gold, but upon getting it appraised for insurance purposes, the jeweler said it did not have a stamp(gold content),and said the acid to determine content is no longer available.Here is part of appraisal: handmade rope and link chain, 24"in., wt. 29.8 grams. Presumably 18 kt.(no karat stamp), each link round in design with a high polish and rope accents. How do I find out value, content of gold so I can insure? I was told that I should be very careful when wearing it against theft. I'm really too paranoid to wear it since he said this. thanks

Answer
Hello Klara and thank you for your inquiry. I'm not sure what your jeweler said about the acid being not available, but I can assure you that it is available. Maybe he was just out of the 24 kt acid solution, but he should have used the next solution down 22 kt for an approximation. Did he test it for 18 kt ? If so, that should be included in the appraisal - that he tested it for 18 kt and it tested positive. On the market now scrap gold - your necklace would be between $700-1000. But that is "scrap". I think it would be well worth insuring. Hope this helps !